Well drilling



, 1,633,134 w. SHELDON WELL DRILLING June 21, 1927.

Filed May 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR w xy J 7' w. SHELDON WELLDRILLING Filed May 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR wag lwdw I gw wPatented .lime 21, 1927.

atin TATES/ WALDQ SHELDON, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

WELL DRILLING.

Application filed May 9, 1924. Serial No. 711,982.

This invention relates to well drilling ap-. paratus of the rotary type.

The objects of the invention are to .provide an apparatus in which allthe advantages of the rotary are retained with the added features of apower feedfor positively advancing or withdrawing the drill stem, allembodied in a strong, simple, compact structure, free of undesirablecomplications and adapted tobe substituted in place of an ordinaryrotary.

These objects and others are attained in this invention by various novelfeatures of construction, combinations and relations of parts as setforth in the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specificationillustrate the 1nvention embodied in one practical form, but it shouldbe understood that the structure may be modified and changed invariousrespects without departure from the broad spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation ofthe apparatus. I Figure 2is a top plan and part sectional view, the sectional portion being takenon substantially the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on substantially the plane of line3-3 of Flgure 1.

The rotary table 5 is of special construction in that it is made with anelongated dependent sleeve extension 6 havin an elongated bearing in thedependent tu ular extension 7 of the base 8 ,of the rotary. This base issecured on a bed plate 9 supported directly .on two I-beams 10 spacedfar enough apart for the entire apparatus to be withdrawn through theseat 11 provided 1n the bed plate.

At the top the rotary table is supported on a ball or taper rollerbearing 12 and at the bottom a similar bearing 13 is shown interposedbetween the lower end of the bearing sleeve 7 and an outstanding annularthrust shoulder 14 on the lower end of the tubular extension of therotary. Therotary is thus made capable of carrying vertical loads ineither direction with a minimum of friction and the elongated bearingsleeve guides the table and steadies it against any tendencies towobbling or gyratory movement.

This member carries suitable means for gripping the drill stem, such asthe adapter 17, supporting bushing 18 engaging vertical shoulders in thestem and the swing clamps 19 for engagement with transverse shoulders onthe stem- The drill stem driving sleeve is raised and lowered in thepresent disclosure by a stationary power cylinder of annularconstruction having an annular piston connected in relatively rotatablefashion with the drill stem sleeve. I Y

The outer and inner cylindrical walls defining the annular pow'ercylinder are designated 20 and 21 respectively, connected at the lowerend by an annular cylinder head 22, the outer wall being secured by aflange extension 23 to the lower end of the table base and the'innerwall extendin up inside the base far enoughto guide an cover the insideof the annular piston rod 24. The head of the piston 25 is attached-tothe lower end of this annular piston rod and suitable packing rings26,27, which may be of ordinary annular form are shown provided about thehead of the piston and about the inside of the annular piston rod so asto prevent leakage past the piston. To prov'ideapower applyingconnection between the relatively stationary piston rod and the rotatingdrill driving sleeve, the piston rod. is shown equipped withlongitudinall spaced upwardl and downwardly shoul ers 28, 29 opposed tooverstandingand underlying shoulders 30, 31 carried by the drive sleeve,with interposedball or roller bearings 32, 33 to reduce friction atthese points.

.Suitable' connections are rovided to the cylinder above and below t eannular piston such as indicated at 34, 35 and by means of appropriatevalve mechanism, the water or other. fluid under pressure is admittedand exhausted in a manner to impart any desired lifting or loweringmovement to the piston and through the rotative connection to the drivesleeve and the drill stem engaged thereby. It is thus possible to applyany desired lifting or lowering force to the drill stem and to operatethe drillv stem at varying pressures in accordance with condiacingthrust the rotary and this with the elongated construction of thebearing sleeve and the power cylinder extension provides aself-centered, balanced and well guided structure, running true at alltimes and capable of operating rapidly and accurately at all depths.

The construction of the entire apparatus as a concentric unit makes itpossible to handle the complete table and power cylinder mechanism asone part and to lift the device as an entirety up between the supportingbeams and out of its seat in the bed plate. This makes it possible toreadily interchange one unit for another while repairs are being madeand thus keep the drilling continu-.

one or practically so.

What is claimed is:

1. lin well drilling apparatus, a rotary table having a dependent sleeveextension, an elongated tubular bearing for said sleeve, an annularcylinder supported by said bearing in stationary relation below therotary table and an annular piston operating in said cylinder having anannular piston rod projecting upwardly within the dependent sleeveextension of the rotary table and a sleeve shit'tably engaged by saidannular piston rod, said engaged sleeve being slidably keyed in thetable sleeve and provided with means vozf connection with a drill stem.

2, In well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stem driving sleeveslidingly keyed in said table and provided with drill stem holdingmeans, a stationary annular cylinder supported below said rotary tableand a non-rotating annular piston operating in said cylinder providedwith an upwardly projecting annular piston rod having a relativelyrotatable connection with the drill stem driving sleeve.

3. In well drilling, a rotary'table, a drill stem driving sleeveslidingly keyed in saitd table, a concentric annular fixed cylindersupported below the table independently thereof, an annular piston insaid cylinder having an annular piston rod extending up into the drivesleeve-and relatively rotatable pressure applying connections betweenthe annular piston rod and drive sleeve.

4. lln well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stem driving sleeveslidinfglly keyed in said table, a concentric annular xed cylindersupported below the table independently thereof, an annular piston insaid cylinder hav-a ing an annular piston rod extending up into thedrive sleeve and relatively rotatable pressure applying connectionsbetween the annuneearea the annular cylinder and thrust bearingconnections between the annular piston rod and drive sleeve.

6. In well drilling, a rotary table having a dependent sleeve, a basefor the table having an elongated bearing for said sleeve, a thrustbearing between the lower end of the table sleeve and the elongatedbearing therefor, a drive sleeve slidingly keyed in the table, upwardlyand downwardly faced thrust shoulders on said drive sleeve, an annularpiston rod having thrust shoulders opposed to the thrust shoulders ofthe drive sleeve, an annular piston on the lower end of said rod and anannular cylinder receiving the piston and piston rod.

7. In well drilling, a rotary table having a dependent sleeve, a basefor the table hav ing an elongated bearing for said sleeve, a thrustbearing between the lower end of the table sleeve and the elongatedbearing therefor, a drive sleeve slidingly keyed in the table, upwardlyand downwardly faced thrust shoulders on said drive sleeve, an annularpiston rod having thrust shoulders opposed to the thrust shoulders ofthe drive sleeve, an annular piston on the lower end of said rod and anannular cylinder receivingthe piston and oiston rod, the annularcylinder being supported in dependent relation from the bearing for thetable sleeve and having the inside wall of the same extended up insidethe annular iston rod.

8. In well dril ing, a rotary table, a concentrically disposed annularpower cylinder supported in stationary relation belpw said rotary table,an annular piston within the same having an annular piston rodprojecting upwardly within the rotary table, a drill stem driving sleevebetween the-annular piston rod and rotary table and slidably keyed tothe table and relatively rotative connections between the annular pistonrod and said drill stem driving sleeve.

9. In well drilling, a pair of spaced supporting beams, a bed platemounted thereon provided with a seat between. the beams, a

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pendent bearing sleeve, an annular piston in the cylinder having anannular piston rod, drill stem engaging means and relatively rotativeconnections between the annular piston rod and drillstem engaging means.

10. In well drilling, spaced supports and rotary well drilling mechanismmounted on said supports and withdrawable from between the same as aunit, comprising a rotary, a base for the same, an annular powercylinder carried by and dependent from said base, a piston in thecylinder having an upwardly projecting annular piston rod, a drill stemdriving sleeve slidingly keyed in the rotary above said power cylinderand a relatively rotative connection between the annular piston rod anddrill stem engaging sleeve.

11. In well drilling, a rotary table having a dependent sleeve, a basefor the table having a dependent tubular bearing for said sleeve, adrill stem driving sleeve slidingly keyed in the table sleeve, adependent annular cylinder carried by the bearing for 8 the tablesleeve, a piston in said cylinder having an annular piston rod andrelatively rotative power applying thrust connections between theannular piston and drive sleeve.

12. In well drilling, a base having a de pendent elongated bearing, arotary table having a dependent sleeve extension journaled in saidelongated bearing, reversely operating thrust bearings at the upper andlower ends of said sleeve for carrying both upward and downward thrustloadson the table, a drill stem driving sleeve slidably keyed in thesleeve of said table, drill stem engaging means removably seated in theupper end of said driving sleeve, reversely operating thrust bearingsengaged with said driving sleeve and power mechanism having a relativelyrotatable engagement with said last mentioned thrust bearings forpositively raising and lowering said driving sleeve within the tablesleeve. V

13. In well drilling, a ;base having a dependent elongated bearing, arotary table having a dependent sleeve extension journaled in saidelongated bearing, reversely operating thrust bearings at the upper andlower ends of said sleeve for carrying both upward and downward thrustloads on the table, a drill stem driving sleeve slidably keyed in thesleeve of said table, drill stem engaging means removably seated in theupper end of said driving sleeve, reversely operating thrust bearingsengaged with said driving sleeve and power mechanism having a relativelyrotatable engagement with said last mentioned thrust bearings forpositively raising and lowering said driving sleeve within the tablesleeve, said last mentioned thrust bearings being disposed at the upperand lower ends of the driving sleeve and the' power mechanism includinga cylinder concentric to the driving sleeve and having an annular pistonrod with spaced reversely faced thrust shoulders engaging the thrustbearings of the driving sleeve.

spaced reversely faced thrust shoulders connected by external ribs anddisposed within the drive sleeve, reversely faced thrust bearingsinterposed between the thrust shoulders of the piston rod and carried bythe end portionsof said drive sleeve and drill stem engaging meanscarried by said drive sleeve.

15. In well drilling, supporting means having a seat, and a power feedrotary insertible into and withdrawable from said seat as a combinedunit, comprising a base to rest on said supporting means and having abearing sleeve extending down into said seat, a rotary table having anelongated dependent sleeve journaled in said bearing sleeve, a powercylinder supported from said bearingsleeve and having an annular pistonrod extending up into the sleeve of the table, a drill stem drivingsleeve slidably keyed in the sleeve of the table, spaced thrust bearingconnections between the piston rod and the driving sleeve and drill stemengaging means carried by said driving sleeve.

16. In well drilling, a base having an elongated dependent bearingsleeve, a rotary table having an elongated dependent sleeve journaled insaid bearing sleeve, a drill stein driving sleeve slidably keyed in thetable sleeve and lowerable thereinto substantially flush with the tabletop, drill stem engaging means seated in the upper end of said drivingsleeve and a power cylinder supported below the table provided with apiston having a relatively rotatable power applying connection with thedriving sleeve at a point within the dependent sleeve of the table.

17. In well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stem driving sleeveslidably keyed in said table, a power cylinder, .a piston in saidcylinder having an annular piston-rod projecting u within the drivingsleeve, said driving s eeve having an inwardly projecting shoulderoverstanding the upper end of said annular piston rod and thrusttransmittting connections between the piston rod and sleeve beneath saidshoulder.

18. In well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stem driving sleeveslidably keyed in said table, a power cylinder, 8. piston in saidcylinder having an annular piston rod projecting up within the drivingsleeve, said driv ing sleeve having an inwardly PIOJGCtlIlg shoulderoverstanding the upper end of said annular piston rod, thrusttransmitting connections between the piston rod and sleeve beneath saidshoulder and a skirt portion dependent from said inwardly projectingshoulder and extending down inside the upper end of the annularpistonrod. 19. In well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stein driving sleeveslidably keyed in Said table, a power cylinder, a piston in saidcylinder having an annular piston rod projecting up within the drivingsleeve, said driving sleeve having an inwardly projecting shoulderoverstanding the upper end of said annular piston rod, thrusttransmitting connections between the piston rod and sleeve beneath saidshoulder, a skirt portion de-' pendent from said inwardly projectingshoulder and extending down inside the upper end of the annular pistonrod and an adapter seated in said dependent skirt portion of the drivingsleeve. I

20. In well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stem driving sleeveslidably keyed in said table, a power cylinder, a piston in saidcylinder having an annular piston rod projecting up within the drivingsleeve, said driving sleeve having an inwardly projecting shoulderoverstanding the upper end of said annular piston rod and thrusttransmitting connections between the piston rod and sleeve beneath saidshoulder, including an inwardly extending shoulder at thelower end ofthe driving sleeve, said piston rod having thrust shoulders opposed tosaid uppes and lower sleeve shoulders.

21. In well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stem driving sleeveslidably keyed insaid table, a power cylinder, a piston in said cylinderhaving an annular piston rod projecting up within the driving sleeve,said driving sleeve having an inwardly projecting shoulder overstandinthe upper end of said annular iston rod t rust transmitting connectionsetween the piston rod and sleeve beneath said shoulder and a skirtportion ssess-a dependent from said inwardly projecting shoulder andextending down inside the upper end of the annular piston rod, the powercylinder having an inner wall projecting upwardly within the piston rodin opposition to said dependent skirt portion of the driving sleeve 22.In well drilling, a rotary table, a drill stem driving sleeve slidablykeyed in said table, adjustable drill stem driving means carried by saidsleeve, a power cylinder having an inner annular wall extending up in-.

transmitting connections between said piston rod and driving sleeve,including -reversely facing thrust bearings at the upper l and lowerends of the driving sleeve, the drive sleeve carrying a dependentportion at its upper end, inside the upper end of the annular piston rodand opposed to the upper end of the inner cylinder wall.

24. In well drilling apparatus, a rotary table, a concentrically mounteddrill stem driving sleeve, a power cylinder, a piston operating in saidcylinder and havin a rel-' atively rotatable connection with sai sleevefor raising and lowering the same in the rotary table and means forreleasably keyin said drive sleeve in the table whereby sai drive sleevemay be caused to rotate with the table or remain at rest in respectthereto.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of May,1924.

WALD-O SHELDON.

